Vientiane (+Photos)
Posted on August 4, 2007
Vientiane is the capital of Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Laos is pronounced with a silent S and rhyme with bow (as in take a bow) or ka-pow. Like most countries with ‘Democratic’ in their name it’s not. It’s a communist state, and one of the least free in the world.
We spent 3 nights in Vientiane. It’s a pleasant enough town, though pretty grimy in spots. We had various errands to take care of, laundry, buying a new camera cable (I left it in Vang Vieng,) and buying the new Harry Potter book.
Caitlin had to get more pages in her passport, which took all of an hour at the US embassy, and we had to get our visas for Vietnam. You can’t get them at entry like most other countries. But it took about 10 mins, and $60 each to get them at the Vietnamese embassy.
We bought our flights to Hanoi, and spent a couple of enjoyable days drinking Beer Lao. One highlight was the Lane Xang hotel. Lane Xang is the name of the ancient Laos kingdom, and means ‘Land of a Million Elephants.’ The hotel has a 50s feel - a lot like the hotels they are busy tearing down in Vegas. It was hopping in the 60s, since Vientiane was a favorite destination for foreign journalists reporting on the Vietnam war escaping the dangers and craziness of Saigon. Hunter S Thompson stayed there after escaping from Saigon as it was falling to the communists, and to enjoy the ‘finest weed ever produced on the planet.’
The food in Laos has been pretty tasty also. Sticky rice is a favorite of Caitlin’s now. You roll it up into a little ball and dip it in the main dish. Laap - a spicy meat salad is delicious, the best one we had was made with duck, at a street kitchen in Vientiane.
Enjoy the photos!
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